Conservationists from the Sustainable Amazon Foundation in Brazil to speak at Global Opportunities Conference

View larger image — Victor Salviati, innovative solutions coordinator for the Sustainable Amazon Foundation, has worked in Amazon conservation since 2009. He will share innovative entrepreneurial solutions that balance the needs of people and planet in this region of ecological importance. Photo submitted.

By Meredith Pipes

Posted April 4, 2017 at 5:04 p.m.

BOONE, N.C.—Conservationists from the Sustainable Amazon Foundation in Brazil will speak at the ninth annual Global Opportunities Conference: Balancing People, Planet, & Profit to be held on Friday, April 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Plemmons Student Union on the campus of Appalachian State University.

The conference is hosted by the Walker College of Business, with additional support from the Office of the QEP and the James E. Holshouser Jr. Ethics Endowment.

The conference and luncheon are free and open to the public, but registration is required. For more information and to register, visit https://business.appstate.edu/events/global-opportunities-conference

This year’s conference will highlight the importance of sustainable practices in the Brazilian Amazon while raising the broader question of how business can balance the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit in environments throughout the globe.

During the morning session, speakers Victor Salviati and Gabriel Ribenboim of the Sustainable Amazon Foundation (FAS) will share innovative entrepreneurial solutions that balance the needs of people and planet in this region of ecological importance.

Ribenboim, FAS’s senior sustainable development innovation consultant, works with vulnerable communities in the Amazon, creating initiatives to promote an inclusive economy and sustainable growth. He has worked with corporations, foundations and government institutions in the Americas, Europe and Asia to raise multi-million dollar resources for these efforts.

Salviati is innovative solutions coordinator for FAS and has worked in Amazon conservation since 2009. Along with REDD+ projects and forest monitoring, Salviati is leading the first of its kind Forest Stewardship Council certification for protected areas management, designing FAS strategy for climate adaptation in isolated riverine communities in the Amazon, and supporting the application of the Environmental Services Law in the State of Amazonas.

The FAS is a Brazilian NGO headquartered in Manaus, Brazil and funded by Bradesco Bank, Coca Cola and Samsung, among other partners. Its mission is to promote sustainability, environmental conservation and quality of life for the communities within the Brazilian Amazon.

Expert panelists will join Salviati and Ribenboin during the luncheon to discuss how business can balance the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. Conference attendees can submit a question to the panel online for the opportunity to win a $100 gift certificate to the University Bookstore.

Appalachian students will share stories of sustainable thinking from their experiences abroad on the 2016 Walker College of Business faculty-led program called Business and Society in the Brazilian Amazon.

About the Walker College of Business

The Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University delivers transformational educational experiences that prepare and inspire students to be ethical, innovative and engaged business leaders who positively impact our community, both locally and globally. The college places emphasis on international experiences, sustainable business practices, entrepreneurial programs and real-world applications with industry. Enrolling approximately 2,800 undergraduates in nine majors and nearly 150 graduate students, the Walker College is accredited by AACSB International – the premier global accrediting body for schools of business.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.